Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This shortened sitting week in aid of the King's Birthday honours was celebrated by most of Australia. On Monday, a well-known identity in Spence, particularly in the top end of the electorate in Gawler, received a well-deserved Medal of the Order of Australia. Paul Little OAM certainly has a very good ring to it, and although the award was noted as being for his service to local government and to the Gawler community, it falls short of fully capturing the breadth and depth of Paul's service to the local Gawler community and, indeed, to our nation. You see, Paul served our country with dignity for 12 years with the Australian Regular Army.

When he retired from the Army, he then gave 22 years of service as an officer with the South Australian Police Force. Not finished with his service to public life, he then gave more than a decade of service to the Gawler Health Service in our community. On top of that, he gave two decades to our local football community in the Barossa Light and Gawler Football Association in several different roles. He also served over three terms for a total of 11 years on the Gawler Council. What really stands out is that, following his service with the Australian Army, he joined Gawler RSL, my local branch, where he's now a life member— (Time expired)